Struggles with addiction…
relationship problems… depression.
On the surface, the Judds may have had it all — like money, fame, and prestige — but
the mother-daughter country duo also had their dark moments.
This is the tragic true story of The Judds.
Country music is all about having down-home roots, and The Judds could provide this in
spades.
The Judds escaped depressed existences in Kentucky coal country to make it big as country
music stars, but they still experienced the trauma and abuse associated with those roots.
Of course, this heritage also permitted them to be authentic and bona fide Southerners,
all musts for country music performers.
Their ascent from rags to riches would become a legend in its own right.
But that didn't make it any easier for them.
In an interview with PBS, Wynonna Judd recalled,
"If we didn't make it or grow it, we didn't have it."
That meant no television or even a phone line.
Their only entertainments came in the form of the used bin of the record store where
they'd purchase 33-1/3 records and the guitar that Naomi Judd bought her daughter.
At times, the family also lived without indoor plumbing and electricity.
In the evenings, The Judds sat on the front porch harmonizing.
For Wynonna and Naomi Judd, this proved especially revelatory.
While their day-to-day relationship felt contentious, when they sang together, it eased the familial
tensions.
In other words, their humble roots represented a challenge, yet it also prepared them for
country music stardom.
"Mom says I came into the world…"
"Screaming on key and searching for harmony."
Naomi Judd had many tough breaks in life that later transformed into incredible blessings
for the whole family.
Chief among these was dating her first boyfriend, Charles Jordan.
Judd claimed she became pregnant after her first sexual encounter with Jordan, and any
affection the couple felt for one another vanished under the weight of teen pregnancy.
Unsure of what to do, Naomi Judd called Jordan up to share the news.
She was met with indifference.
Instead of supporting his girlfriend, Jordan immediately severed ties.
She remembered him saying, "Well, tough luck, kiddo."
Then, he hung up and that was that.
Judd gave birth to her daughter, Wynonna Judd, at the age of 18.
Wynonna Judd never met her biological father before his death.
But years later, a Taste of Country story reported on Judd's realization that she has
a half-brother.
She has since reached out to him attempting to make sense of the past and heal old wounds.
Although the story of Naomi Judd's relationship with Charles Jordan is now common knowledge,
such was not the case during Wynonna Judd's childhood.
Instead, she grew up assuming that her mother's first husband, Michael Ciminella, was her
biological father.
She even took his last name, christened Christina Claire Ciminella at birth.
So, learning that her entire life was built on a lie felt overwhelming.
In 1994, at the age of 30, she finally learned the truth.
This entailed not only realizing that the man she knew as her father wasn't, but she
also learned that Ashley Judd was her half-sister.
Wynonna Judd initially planned on meeting Charles Jordan, but he died one month before
she had the chance.
She also struggled with the fact that the parents who raised her had lied about basic
information for her entire life.
Once Wynonna Judd worked through the pain of having these deceptions revealed, she received
incredible news.
She learned about a half-brother named Michael Jordan who's three years younger than her
and lives in Kentucky.
In an interview with Taste of Country, Wynonna had this to say about the experience:
"I had a choice.
I had to decide whether I was better or bitter."
As a singing duo, The Judds perfected singing in harmony, so you'd assume they could get
along in real life.
Not so much.
In an interview with Robin Roberts, Naomi Judd described her relationship with Wynonna
Judd:
"I love her but there are just times we need a break from each other.
We're still a little estranged from each other."
One of the biggest strains the duo might have faced involved their close ages, and they
likely grew up together in many senses.
When their music careers took off, it came at a time when Wynonna Judd would have normally
been preparing to leave the nest.
Instead, they remained stuck together on a cramped touring bus, which likely led to tricky
psychological situations.
But some problems got bigger than others.
For example, Wynonna Judd proved more reticent than her mother when it came to sharing personal
details of her life.
This could create friction when doing interviews with her mother who always verged on saying
too much.
Naomi Judd also dealt with mental health issues that exacerbated their relationship.
As ABC News reports, this precipitated tension and fights about nearly everything.
Naomi Judd loved performing and flitting around the stage in flashy costumes with her daughter
Wynonna.
But in 1991, she was forced to retire after receiving a hepatitis C diagnosis.
The diagnosis represented an unwelcome artifact from her pre-music career when she worked
as a registered nurse.
A viral infection, hepatitis C is spread through blood and causes liver inflammation.
Doctors initially only gave her three years to live, making for a truly devastating medical
sentence but one she surpassed by decades.
After retiring from the musical world, Judd became active as a spokeswoman for the American
Liver Foundation.
She used this visible role to educate the public about conditions of the liver.
She also raised money for the organization by returning to the stage on and off starting
in 1999.
Although Wynonna Judd had longed to spread her wings and experience more freedom, becoming
a solo artist overnight proved bewildering.
At 27, she had yet to differentiate from her mother and realized just how dependent she
was.
All around, it was a tragic reason for one of country's hottest groups to break up.
After her mother's premature retirement, Wynonna Judd navigated celebrity by herself, and it
wasn't easy.
She came to live by the mantra "fake it 'til you make it."
But that only took her so far, especially when it came to food addiction and weight
management.
While burying her feelings helped her get through the tough times with a smile, this
approach made food addiction issues much worse.
And life on the road didn't help, either.
While her mother was still touring with her, Wynonna Judd didn't feel free to do the things
that other women in their late teens and early 20s tried.
There was no sense of experimentation when it came to her identity.
As for things like going to a party or out on a date, they got nixed by their overly
close relationship.
With her mother often in the hotel room next door, Judd had one way to deal with her feelings:
room service.
"And it was real safe and real wonderful to sit in a room, turn on a movie and order room
service.
And that became my best friend."
Over time, her reliance on food transformed into addiction, and her health suffered.
Naomi Judd's failed first relationship with Charles Jordan and divorce from Michael Ciminella
represented the beginning of a string of failed relationships that sometimes put Judd and
her daughters in danger.
When she was 22 and living in Los Angeles after her divorce, Judd dated a man who was
addicted to drugs.
One day, he broke into her home, high.
He beat and tortured her before sexually assaulting her.
Then, he started taking shots of heroin.
The second one caused him to pass out, allowing her to escape with her daughters.
Soon after, they fled California for Kentucky, but the terrible trauma of the event lingered
with them.
Ashley Judd has also spoken openly about her mother's many relationships and how they robbed
the innocence from her childhood.
Judd claims she first experienced sexual abuse as a pre-teen, and it had nothing to do with
her mother or her boyfriends.
Nevertheless, she also argues her initiation into sex came much earlier while witnessing
inappropriate behavior between her mother and various men she dated.
While Naomi Judd eventually settled down in a loving relationship with Larry Strickland,
who represented a surrogate dad to Wynonna and Ashley Judd, the damage had already been
done.
To go from dirt-poor to wealthy wasn't easy for Wynonna Judd, who developed dangerously
out of control spending habits.
Realizing she was going broke, she checked herself in for financial rehab in 2008.
This likely shocked many of her fans who assumed the singer rolled in an endless supply of
dough.
What's more, some might have been confused by the concept of money rehab, having never
heard of it before.
Judd's money woes resulted from a lavish lifestyle that didn't involve budgeting.
From traveling to renting jets, nothing was too expensive until she started taking a closer
look at her bank balance.
The singer told ABC News,
"I had an Elvis complex.
I had to buy Harleys and cars.
I bought my Mom a bus."
In other words, she lived her life like she'd won the lottery ... every day.
But this fiscal attitude came at a steep and unsustainable cost.
In rehab, Judd worked with Dr. Ted Klontz who represented her spending habits visually
so that she could see firsthand what the future held for her if she didn't make changes.
Ashley Judd has become a powerhouse actress in her own right and even been featured as
one of "The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People.
Despite outward appearances, however, she suffered as her mother and sister constantly
toured.
In her 2011 memoir All That Is Bitter and Sweet, she detailed attending 13 schools by
the age of 18 and the abuse and neglect she endured while her sister and mother became
country music's most celebrated duo.
Ashley Judd has also struggled with depression like her mother.
Therapy uncovered childhood memories of sexual abuse, which continue to haunt her.
Fortunately, she has used advocacy and philanthropy to support the healing process.
Fans were shocked to learn of Naomi Judd's death after a long battle with mental illness
and what she termed "treatment-resistant depression."
Several news outlets reported her death just one day before The Judds' scheduled induction
into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
As of May 2022, the Nashville medical examiner's officer has yet to confirm a cause of death,
stating that the only information being released at the moment is to family members.
That said, Wynonna and Ashley Judd released a statement via Instagram letting their fans
know about their mother's death.
The statement said she succumbed to "mental Illness," which has contributed to speculation.
Although the circumstances surrounding Naomi Judd's death have yet to be confirmed, it
was unexpected.
On April 15, Wynonna Judd posted a promo for the duo's final tour that clearly demonstrated
her enthusiasm about the upcoming concert dates.
The Judds' induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame continued despite the death of
Naomi Judd, with both daughters in attendance.
Wynonna Judd described her final visit with her mother before receiving the devastating
news, saying:
"At 2:20, I kissed her on the forehead, and I walked away, and this is the first place
I've been."
Wynonna Judd also elaborated about the last thing the family did together.
They gathered and recited Psalm 23, which includes the famous lines,
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil:
for thou art with me."
In a heartbreaking and powerful moment at the induction ceremony, the two Judd sisters
held hands and recited the Bible verse.
Ashley Judd also shared words about her mother before the audience erupted into applause.
Before leaving the stage, Wynonna Judd blew a kiss heavenward, a touching nod to the mother
who harmonized so well with her despite all of the tragedies they overcame together.
One thing's for sure.
Naomi Judd was one of a kind, and her generous spirit and captivating energy will be missed.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text
Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI
(6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.